TORONTO, Ont. – A promising second half of the season for the Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team officially came to an end on Wednesday night (Feb. 19) at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, where the Gryphons fell 89-63 to the TMU Bold in the opening round of the 2025 OUA men's basketball playoffs.
 
The Gryphons men's basketball team earned the 12th and final playoff spot in the OUA postseason, thanks to an impressive second half of the season that saw the Gryphons post a 7-4 record and take a four-game win streak into Wednesday night's playoff game. The Gryphons, who posted a 9-13 record during the regular season as a whole, were in tough against a talented TMU squad, which posted a 15-7 record during the regular season to earn home court advantage in the opening round as the No. 5-seed in the conference.
 
TMU got off to a fast start in Wednesday night's playoff matchup, with the home side jumping out to a 15-0 run to start the game. The Gryphons would collect themselves after the slow start, with freshman guard Amare Hamilton (Mississauga, ON) leading the way for the Gryphons with a team-high 20 points on the night, including a floater at the end of the first half that made it a 13-point game heading into the locker room with TMU up 53-40. It capped a solid 2nd quarter for the Gryphons, who matched TMU stride for stride with each team scoring 24 points in the quarter. But the Bold would add to their lead in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Guelph 19-7 to take a commanding lead into the 4th.
 
As a team, TMU shot 51% from the floor, while TMU's defence held the Gryphons in check with Guelph shooting 33% from the floor while being forced into 21 turnovers. Gryphons guard Jack Tunstill and third-year forward Eric Armstrong, both of whom who have put together impressive 2024-25 seasons, were also kept in check throughout the night finishing with 5 and 8 points, respectively. Isaiah Odle-Clarke led the way off the bench with 9 points.
 
With the result, TMU advances to the OUA quarterfinals and will face the Western Mustangs on Saturday night (Feb. 22) in London, while the Gryphons 2024-25 season officially comes to a close.